Device for handling and cleaning seed-cotton by atmospheric suction



(.No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. C. EBERHARDT. DEVICE FOR HANDLINGAND CLEANING SEED UQTTQN BY ATMOSPHERIC SUCTION.

No. 452,552. Patented May 19,1891.

m: Nunms versus 50., PHOTO-LIYHU., wnsumnmn. u. c.

(No Model.) 2'Sheefis-Sheet 2.

T. G. EBERHARDT, DEVICE FOR HANDLING-AND CLEANING SEED COTTON BYATMOSPHERIC SUCTION.

No. 452,552. Patented May 19,1891.

a e0, w' 0' 1a o o' 3 5 o I f v 1 126052712705 C'Eberfiazdb Ty 77-15qflpgz ys,

p -Q1 w i THE mums rz-rcns cq.. mo'm-umm. wAsmNnTnN, n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEIC THEOPHILUS CHARLES EBERI-IARDT, OF OUERO,TEXAS.

DEVICE FOR HANDLING AND CLEANING SEED-COTTON BY ATMOSPHERIC SUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,552, dated May 19,1891.

' Application filed April 24:, 1890. Serial No. 349,393. (No model.)

-To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEoPHILUs CHARLES EBERHARDT, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Ouero, in the county of De Witt and State ofTexas, have invented a new and'useful Device for Handling and CleaningSeed- Ootton by Atmospheric Suction, of which the following is aspecification. I s

This invention relates to devices for handling and cleaning seed-cottonby atmospheric suction; and it has for its object to construct a deviceof this class which shall be simple in construction and efficient inoperation, and by means of which the cotton may be conveyed and cleanedwithout passing through the exhaust-fans, thereby avoiding danger of themachine being choked while in operation.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts,which will be hereinafter fully described, and particular] pointed outin the claims. Y

. In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionalview of a machine embodying my improvements; Fig. 2, a trans versesectional view ofthe same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aperspective detail view of one of the shields located within therevolving screen.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

The casing of my improved machine consists of a shell or drum 1, made ofany suitable material, preferably sheet metal, and secured between theheads or ends 2 2 by means of the transverse bolts or braces 3. Theshell 1 is provided on opposite sides with the inlet 4: and the outlet5, and the lower portion of the shell has the exit-opening 6 for theseed-cotton, at opposite sides of which opening inclined flanges 7 maybe placed, as will be seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The lower portionof the shellthat is, the portion between the lower edges of the inletand outlet and the exit-opening 6is concentric with the central point 8.A portion of the upper side of the shell, extending between the points 9and 10 from the top of the casing in the di; rection of the outlet, islikewise concentric. The upper front portion of the shell, between thepoints 9 and 11, is on the curve of a larger circle, and the portion ofthe shell between the point 10 and the upper edge of the outlet isflared or deflected outwardly, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 1. Thereason for this peculiar construction of the casing will be readily.understood from the description of the construction and operation of themachine, which isto follow.

The heads or ends of the casing are provided with boxes or bearings 12for a transverse shaft 13, which is provided at one end with aband-wheel135 to receive motion from suitable operating machinery.Mounted securely upon said shafts centrally between the sides of thecasing is a disk 14 of wood or other suitable material. In lieu of thisdisk, however, a series of radial spokes may be used when preferred.Said disk is provided with a circumferential series of transverse braces15, arranged concentrically andat a distance from the periphery of thedisk. The ends of these braces are connected by segments 16 of wood, andsaid braces and segments form a cylindrical frame upon which the screens17, which are made of wire-cloth of suitable mesh, are secured onopposite sides of the disk 14. The transverse braces 15 extend nearly tothe ends of the casing, and to the rings or hoops formed by the segments16 are secured packing strips 19, of rubber, leather, or other suitablematerial, which extend to and are in contact with the heads or ends 2,thus forming air-tight joints.

20 20 designate the series of wings or paddles which are secured inrecessesin the outer edge of the disk 14. Said paddles extend nearly tothe ends of the casing and to that portion of the shell which isconcentric with the shaft, and are provided with strips 21 of packingmaterial, such as rubber or leather, whereby tight joints will be formedwith the ends and the concentric portion of the shafts of the casing.

It will be seen that the casing is divided by the disk 14 intotwoseparate compartments. In each of said compartments is arranged asegmental box or shield 22,which is suspended by hangers 23 from theshaft and which extends very nearly to and is concentric with therevolving screen. The dimensions of these segmental shields are suchthat the upper ends or edges of said shields shall be on a level withthe lower edges of the inlet 4- and outlet 5 of the casing. The shields22 are socured to the sides of the casing by means of bolts 2i, so as topreventsaid shields from revolving. The function of these shields is toprevent the suction which in operation is created in the casing fromaffecting the cotton-outlet 6. The outer side of each of the shields isprovided with a hand-hole 25, which is in alignment with thecorresponding hand-hole 26, formed in the sides of the easing. Swinginglids 27 cover the hand-holes 26. A similar hand-hole 28, covered by alid 29, is formed in the side of the casing at the inlet of the latter.

The outlet of the casing has a spout 30, which is connected by a flue 31with the exhaust-fan 32. The spout 30 has in its upper side an openingat one side of which is journaled a rock-shaft 3%, having a double valveor damper, one of the leaves of which 35 normally covers the opening 33,while the other leaf 36 extends horizontally into the flue. Therock-shaft 34 has an arm or crank 37, to which is connected a handle oroperating-rod 38. It will be seen that by oscillating the rock-shaft theleaf 35 of the valve may be raised so as. to uncover the opening 33,while at the same time the leaf 36 swings down into the spout 30, thuscutting off communication between the casing of the machine and theexhaust-fau. The latter will thus receive a continual supply of air,even when it is cut oil from communication with the shell of themachine, through the opening 33, thereby preventing any of the parts ofthe machine or fan from being injured.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The inlet of the shell orcasing is connected by means of a suitable conveyor with the bin, house,or other place where the seedcotton is stored, or with a wagoncontaining the seed-cotton. Motion is then imparted to the fan at a highrate of speed to create sui'ficient suction to draw the seed-cottonthrough the tubular couveyer and through the inlet 4r into the casing.At the same time the shaft carrying the screens is caused to revolveslowly in the direction of the arrow. The wings or paddles 20 should beplaced sufficiently close together to cause atleast one of said paddlesto be at all times between the inlet l and the cotton-outlet 6 andbetween the outlet 5 and the cotton-outlet and in contact with theconcentric portions of the casing at these points and likewise incontact with the concentric portion between the points 9 and 10 ot thecasing. The cotton-outlet will thus, partly on account of arrangement ofsaid paddles and partly on account of the presence of the shields 22, beunaffected by the draft in an upward direction, which would otherwise becaused in the said cotton-outlet and which would interfere with orprevent the escape of the cotton. By the suction through the casing thecotton is brought into contact with the cylindrical screens between thepaddles 2t), and sand, dust, and other impurities will be drawn throughthe said screens and casing and out through the outlet 5. The cottonwill be carried by the paddles to the outlet 6, through which it willdrop by gravity.

It may be found desirable to arrange a curved screen 72 between thepoint 10 of the casing and the lower edge of the outlet 5 concentricallywith the shaft for the purpose of preventing any cotton which may becarried around past the exit-opening (3 by the flanges 20 from escapingthrough the outlet 5 to the exhaust-fan.

I would have ituuderstood that I reserve the right to any changes andmodifications in the construction of the machine which may be resortedto without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is" 1. The combination of acasing having an inlet adapted to be connected with the source of supplyof cotton and provided with a cotton-outlet at its bottom, a revolvingcy1indrical screen arranged within said casing, means for creatingsuction through the casing and the revolving screen, and the flanges orpaddles extending radially from and across the periphery of saidrevolving screen and adapted to bear against the inn er wall of thecasin g, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the casing constructed substantially as described,the revolving shaft, the rotary screen mounted upon the latter, and theflanges or paddles having packing-strips secured thereto, substantiallyas set forth.

3. The combination of the casing provided with the inlet and outlet andhaving a cottonoutlet in the bottom thereof, the revolving screenmounted in said casin g and having the flanges or paddles provided withpackingstrips, and the segmental shields suspended by hangers from theshaft and. secured to the ends of the casing, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination of the casing having the inlet and outlet andprovided with the cotton-outlet in the bottom thereof, the revolvingscreen mounted in said casing and having the flanges or paddles providedwith packing-strips, the segmental shields suspended by hangers from theshaft and secured to the ends of the casing, and means for creat-- ingsuction through the outlet in the side of the casing, substantially asset forth.

5. The combination of the casing, the revolving screen, the segmentalshields sus pended by hangers from the shaft of the screen and havinghand-holes aligning with hand-holes in the sides of the casing, andswinging lids for said hand-holes, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the casing having the inlet adapted to beconnected with the source of cotton-supply, the-outlet-spout having anopening in its upper side and the cotton-outlet extending downward fromthe bottom 0t ICC said casing, the revolving screen having flanges orpaddles provided with packingstrips, the segmental shields arrangedwithin the screen above the cotton-outlet in the bottom of the casing,an air-exhaustingmechanism connected with the outlet-spout, and arock-shaft mounted in the latter at one side of the opening therein andhaving a double valve or damper, whereby when the opening in the upperside of the spout is uncovered communication shall be simultaneously cutoff between the casing and the exhaust mechanism, substantially asset'forth.

. 7. The combination, with the casing, of the transverse shaft, the diskor spokes mounted upon the latter and having transverse braces, thesegments attachedto said braces, and the screen mounted upon the framethus constructed, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the casing having the inlet and outlet and acotton-outlet in the bottom thereof, the revolving screen having theflanges or paddles, the segmental shields suspended by hangers on theshaft of the screen and secured to the ends of the casing, the seg-THEOPHILUS CHARLES EBERHARDT.

Witnesses:

V. W. HARETI, H. F. HARDT.

